Pan Seared Tilapia with White Bar-B-Q Sauce

Never fear, ye non lovers of fish... the original recipe for this barbecue sauce was for chicken.  You can easily use the same spice mix on chicken and either pan fry it, grill it or bake it.

The sauce is what makes this dish.  I actually made this sauce last summer with a little recipe I like to call my "disaster" fish.  It would have had zero flavor if not for the sauce.  It's tart, tangy and .... well.... yummy :)

Pan Seared Tilapia with White Bar-B-Q Sauce

Adapted from My Recipes/Southern Living 

Ingredients:
3/4 tsp thyme
3/4 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp sweet paprika
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
lime or lemon juice
1 Tbls olive oil
4 Tilapia Fillets
For the sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbls white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 coarse ground pepper
1 tsp spicy brown mustard or Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp horseradish

Directions: 
For the sauce:  Mix all sauce ingredients together until well blended.  Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

In a small bowl, mix the first 7 ingredients together.  Drizzle both sides of the fish with lime or lemon juice.  Evenly distribute the spice mixture on both sides of the all the fillets.

In a skillet large enough to hold all 4 fillets (or a smaller one that holds two at a time), heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add fish and fry about 4-6 minutes on each side or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. (You may need to adjust your heat so you don't burn the fish) Serve with sauce on the side.  Enjoy! 

Bourbon Chicken

I know what you are thinking, BOURBON?  Well, fear not, this recipe actually does not have bourbon in it.  So why the name?  Well, originally, this recipe was created with bourbon as an ingredient.  I just happen to have stumbled across a recipe that did not call for it.  If you check Wikipedia, it also says that this dish was named after Bourbon Street in New Orleans, which I find very interesting since I assumed this was more of a Chinese dish.  Either way, we both loved this. The sauce was sweet and a tiny bit spicy...my favorite combination.  I served it over plain white rice and with a side salad.  If you wanted to add some veggies to the dish, I would recommend red peppers, snow peas, mushrooms, zucchini or even broccoli.

Bourbon Chicken
Original recipe by Blog Chef 
Ingredients:
2lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
oil (for frying)
cornstarch (for dusting, optional)
Sauce-
1 garlic clove (minced)
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup apple juice
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce

Directions:

Cut chicken breasts into bit sized pieces, and if you choose lightly dust with cornstarch. Heat oil in your wok and fry chicken bits in batches until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

In a bowl combine all sauce ingredients. Pour into wok and bring to a boil. Add chicken bits back to the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes (I only let it simmer for 5 minutes).  Enjoy!

***I only used 1 lbs of chicken, so I cut all other ingredient amounts in half.  It was enough to feed Chris and I with no leftovers.*** 

Super Bowl Count Down...Take One: Appetizers

The playoffs are under way and the Super Bowl is just around the corner.  Even though my team shamefully got their butts kicked this past Saturday, I'm still aware that most people are either planning on throwing or planning on attending a Super Bowl party.  So over the next three weeks, I will post some of my favorite game time snacks.

First up on the count down:  Basil Parmesan Dip and Stuffed Jalapenos.

Basil Parmesan Dip, a creamy combination of classic Italian flavors.  Serve it with pita chips, carrot sticks, cucumbers, or even crostini.

Basil Parmesan Dip
Adapted from Cooking Light 
Ingredients:
1 cup lightly packed basil leaves
3/4 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove

Directions:
In a food processor, add the garlic clove and pulse a few times.  Add the basil and pulse until lightly chopped.  Add the Parmesan cheese and process until everything in the processor is finely chopped.  (If you don't have a food processor, just chop everything up as fine as you can.)

In a medium bowl, add the sour cream and lemon juice and mix thoroughly.  Add the basil mixture and fold to combine.  Chill for at least 30 minutes.  Serve with pita chips, crostini, or veggies.
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Jalapenos, bacon and cream cheese....need I say more about these little spicy baked snacks?  (if it were summer time, I'd suggest doing these on the grill!!)

Stuffed Jalapenos

Ingredients:

5-10 jalapenos (depending on size..5 large, 10 small) sliced in half lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed, you want to create a shell

4 oz cream cheese

4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/4 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place empty jalapenos on a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 5-6 minutes or until lightly softened.

Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the cheese, bacon, garlic powder.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove jalapenos from the oven and fill with cheese mixture.  Return to the oven and bake for about 8 minutes.  Turn broiler on and broil for 2 more minutes.  Remove and serve.

Bacon-Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

I think one of the best aromas in the world is the smell of frying bacon!  When I smell bacon cooking, my eyes glaze over, I start to salivate, and all thought and reasoning are pushed aside.  I mean, I could have just eaten a full three course meal and if I smell bacon, I'll want to devour it!  So, obviously, when I saw this recipe, I HAD to try it.  It's now one of my favorite fish recipes.

Now, let's just say you love the sound of this recipe but aren't a fan of fish.  Go ahead and use chicken instead.  I think the flavors of the bacon-parmesan mixture would work fantastic on chicken too.

Bacon-Parmesan Crusted Tilapia
Adapted from MyRecipes.com/Coastal Living 
Makes 2 Servings
Ingredients:
4-6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley (or 1/2 Tbls dried parsley)
2 (5- to 6-ounce) Tilapia fillets (or any white fish such as cod or sole or haddock)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
olive oil
garlic powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare a baking dish by spraying it with non stick cooking spray.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a shallow dish. Set aside.

Place fish in prepared dish.  Drizzle fish with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder.  Top each fillet evenly with the breadcrumb mixture.  Bake for 15 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.  Enjoy!

**A note regarding panko:  In a lot of my recipes, you will see that I use panko instead of regular dry bread crumbs.  Panko is a variety of bread crumbs used in Japan.  It tends to have an airier, crispier texture then most bread crumbs used in Western cuisines.  Most grocery stores carry at least one brand of panko, but not always, so if this is the case at your grocery store, you can easily use dry bread crumbs.  If you are feeling really adventurous, though, you can even make your own.  Personally, I like the crunchy texture that panko gives to foods, even if you aren't deep frying it.

Balsamic, Dijon & Garlic Chicken

Like so many Americans, I stuffed myself with a ton of sweets and comforting foods over the holidays.  Even though we are two weeks into January, my eating habits have not changed much, so I figured it was about time to wean myself off of those yummy fattening things and try and cook a bit more healthier... for at least one night :)

One of my favorite things to eat, besides pasta :), is grilled chicken.  If cooked right, it will be juicy and flavorful.  If cooked wrong, it will be a dry jerky-type mess.  The key to grilling chicken is leave it be!  Just like a lot of meats, you should only have to turn it once.  If you spend a lot of time flipping and squashing, you will loose all the flavor and a lot of the juices.  I know most people are worried that they are going to under cook the chicken, and I understand that, I mean who wants to cut into a piece of chicken and see pink?  Not me, that's for sure.  Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are one of the easiest things to grill.  It should only cook for 15-20 minutes (unless you have a majorly thick piece, that is, but that can be solved by pounding the meat with a meat tenderizer).  Anything longer then that and you will dry it out.  My suggestion, invest in a meat thermometer.  Chicken should have an internal temperature of 165 degree.  Another key to grilling chicken, or any meat for that matter, let it sit for a couple of minutes before you cut into it.  First, it will continue to cook as it sits.  Second, it will leave less juice on the plate.

Both Chris and I loved this recipe.  It was light and fresh.  I served it with some roasted potatoes and a side salad.  It was the perfect meal after many weeks of heavy foods.

Balsamic, Dijon & Garlic Chicken
Adapted from For the Love of Cooking 
Ingredients:
3-4 chicken breasts, trimmed of any fat
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large zip lock bag and mix thoroughly; add chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Grill meat about 5-8 minutes on each side or until juices are running clear. Let the meat for rest a couple of minutes before cutting it. Enjoy!

***As always, if you can't grill, this would be a great dish to either bake or pan sear.  Personally, I would sear it in a skillet and then transfer to a 350-375 degree oven to finish the cooking process.

Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta

I think it was Federico Fellini who said "Life is a combination of magic and pasta".  Personally, I think pasta IS magic.  I love pasta.  It is my comfort food of choice.  I would eat it morning, noon, and night, seven days a week if I could.  I love it with red sauces and white sauces.  I love it with meats.  I love it with cheeses. I love it with veggies. I even love it with just a little butter and garlic.  Did I mention that I love pasta? :)

I found this dish on the Tasty Kitchen website.  I saw it and printed it out just because I thought the name sounded good.  I didn't even look at the ingredients, actually.  When it came time for me to make it the other night, I realized, hhhhmmmmm... this isn't what I thought it was going to be, so I decided to change it up a bit.  I liked it a lot.  Actually, I liked it more the next day, but that's sometimes how it goes with pasta :)  Chris liked it too, but he had a really hard time with the color of it.  He said it reminded him of how one of his sister use to make her tomato soup.  So I guess as long as the color of the sauce doesn't bother you, I recommend trying this.  It might not be the healthiest thing, but if you are looking for comfort in calories, this is the dish for you :)

Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta
Adapted from Tasty Kitchen 
Ingredients:
1 lbs. sweet Italian sausage
1 cup finely diced onion, caramelized (see recipe for caramelized onions below)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup pasta sauce (homemade or store bought)
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 lbs. ziti or penne pasta
Fresh Parmesan cheese, for topping

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and rinse. 

In a Dutch oven or large pot, brown the sausage.  Drain off any excess fat.  Add the onion and garlic and saute for 1 minutes.  Add the pasta sauce and the chicken broth.  Stir until combined.  Add the cream.  Simmer, stirring often, until reduced by half. 

Toss with pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!

Caramelized Onions:
(note, though you use 1 cup of diced onion, it will cook down to about 1/2 cup or less)
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely diced onion

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a small pan over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook until they turn brown in color, stirring occasionally, about 20-40 minutes. Take care not to burn the onions. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

By the way, this was my lunch the next day :)  Like I said, just as good, if not better!

Triple Chocolate Mayan Brownies

A few months back, my friend Barb forwarded me an email regarding a local restaurant that was hosting a dessert competition.  It was called the Dessert Throwdown in the Desert (or something like that).  The top recipes would be picked to compete in a cook off.  The winning dessert would then be featured on the restaurants menu for a year and part of the proceeds from the sales of the dessert would go to the winners favorite charity.  At first I thought, hey, I could do that.  Then self doubt quickly crept in.  I can easily convince myself that I am not a good cook.  I mean, really, most of the time all I really do is a follow a recipe, how hard is that, right?  I, then, convinced myself that I didn't have any recipes of my own, so I couldn't compete anyway.  Little by little, Chris helped pump up my confidence and before it was too late, I believed I had a shot. Unfortunately, I did not win the competition, but I did have a good time with it and in the end, that's what counts.

The competition had some guidelines, so of course, I couldn't make just any dessert.  It had to be a cookie, brownie, or pie.  No cakes.  I knew I didn't want to do a cookie.  I have a good chocolate chip cookie recipe, but who doesn't.  I didn't have a single pie recipe that I created, so brownies seemed the most obvious.  I got the idea for this recipe from a bundt cake I made a few years back.  It was a bundt cake that had chocolate and cayenne pepper in it. I thought the combination of the chocolate and cayenne pepper was a marriage made in heaven.  I love chocolate.  I love spicy.  What more needs to be said.

If you do not like fiery things, do not be afraid to cut back on the cayenne pepper, or even cut it out all together.  The cinnamon will still add a bit of a "kick" to what would be a standard chocolate brownie.

Triple Chocolate Mayan Brownies

Ingredients:

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped

2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)

1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a 9x9 or 8 x 8 -inch pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.  Grease lightly.

In a microwave safe dish or in a double broiler on the stove, melt the unsweetened chocolate, the semi-sweet chocolate, and butter until smooth.  Let cool for a few minutes.

In a large mixing bowl of a standing mixer, or in a large bowl, add the melted chocolate, brown sugar, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and salt.  If using a standing mixer, use paddle attachment and mix on low until blended.  If mixing by hand, a whisk tend to work the best to incorporate all ingredients.

Mix in the eggs, one at a time.  Batter should be smooth by the last egg.  Add vanilla.

With a spatula, fold in the flour.  As soon as the flour is incorporated into the mixture, add the chocolate chips.  Fold gently to combine.

Pour mixture into prepared pan.  Bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the brownies comes out clean.  (We like more fudgey brownies, so I take the brownies out when there are still a few crumbs on the toothpick, but it's not wet.)  Enjoy!

Chicken Fried Steak

If Chris and I were ever on a game show, and the only question standing between us and 1 million dollars was, "What is your partners all time favorite meal", we'd be RICH!  I would have to calmly inform Bob, our game show host, that Chris's all time favorite meal is Chicken Fried Steak!! (Congratulations, Jenn & Chris, you just won ONE MILLION DOLLARS!)  WOOHOO!!

Ok, back to reality...when Chris and I first started dating, we had a little routine of getting up on Sunday mornings and going to Denny's.  Every Sunday, he would order the 'country fried steak and eggs'.  After a few Sunday's, I quickly understood that if I was going to win his heart (by way of stomach, of course) I would have to learn how to make chicken fried steak.  So my quest to win his stomach...I mean heart...began with more of a bust then a bang.  I let the steaks drain on a paper towel and they got so soggy that the bottom breading pulled completely away from the meat itself when I went to serve it. Though Chris ate it with no complaints, I knew I needed to do something to make it better.  So I looked to one of my favorite celebrity chefs, Alton Brown.  Alton takes you on a cooking journey by way of science.  He explains why things have to be done certain ways to have certain outcomes.  Long story short, I found his recipe and found my error.  Instead of draining on a paper towel, he instructs to drain on a wire rack so the grease would drain away from the meat and breading (I did not have a wire rack, so I used a broiler pan).  I tried doing this the next time I made it and wouldn't you know....success!  Thank you Alton :)

Chicken Fried Steak

Adapted from Alton Brown 

Ingredients:

1 lbs beef bottom round, trimmed of excess fat

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 eggs, beaten

2-4 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups milk

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. (the only purpose of the oven is to keep the chicken fried steak warm while you finish the gravy or if you don't have a pan big enough to hold all the steaks)

Season each piece of meat on both sides with salt and pepper.  Place the flour into a pie pan.  Place the eggs into a separate pie pan.  Dredge the meat on both sides in the flour.

Tenderize the meat, using a needling device, until each side is 1/4-inch thick.  Once tenderized, dredge the meat again in the flour, followed by the egg and finally in the flour again.  Repeat with all the pieces of meat.  Place the meat onto the place and allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking.

Place enough of the vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a large slope sided skillet and set over medium high heat.  Once the oil begins to shimmer, ad the meat in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan.  Cook each piece on both sides until golden brown, approximately 2-4 minutes per side.  Remove the steaks to a wire rack set in a half sheet pan (or on a broiler pan) and place into the oven.  Repeat until all the meat is browned.

Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the oil out of the pan (add vegetable oil if there's not enough). On medium low heat, whisk in 1 tablespoon of the flour left over from the dredging.  Cook for 1 minutes.  Slowly whisk in the milk.  Whisk until the gravy starts to thicken up.  Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if needed.  Serve the gravy over the steaks.  Enjoy!

This is actually only the third time I've made this for Chris.  Come to find out, I won his stomach....excuse me.. HEART on the first meal I made for him, a stuffed chicken breast that I came up with on the fly at the grocery store on my way to his house, but I'll save that for another post.

One last thing... this is a picture taken of my parents house.  OMG that's a-lot-a snow!

Ciao!

Jalapeno Crusted Tilapia

Wouldn't you agree that if something smells good and looks good, that it should taste good too?  Ok, so it's not like this fish was terrible or that it even tasted bad, it's just that it was far too bland for Chris and I.  Don't get me wrong, it had the great flavor and kick that only jalapenos can bring to a dish (as Chris says: "Jalapeno's bring such joy to food!"), but it didn't have much flavor beyond that.  I did change the recipe just a little bit, but I don't think changing what I did should have made the dish bland.  I found the original recipe on Spark Recipe and thought it sounded so good, so needless to say I was a bit disappointed when I finally tasted it.  I really didn't even want to post this recipe just due to the blandness of it, but Chris was quick to encourage me to go ahead and do it.  He reminded me that this is a journey, MY journey, and good or bad, that's what this blog is suppose to be about.  So with much reluctance, I will post the recipe as I made it Thursday night.  After the recipe, I will write out a few suggestions on how to maybe make it a bit more flavorful.

Jalapeno Crusted Tilapia
Adapted from Spark People user Jetsers
Ingredients:
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (you can use plain dry bread crumbs)
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and membranes removed, finely diced
2 Tbls shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp olive oil
4 Tilapia fillets
lime juice
garlic salt

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a baking dish with non stick cooking spray. Mix the first 9 ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

Place fillets in prepared dish.  Drizzle with lime juice and then sprinkle with garlic salt.  Apply the panko mixture to the top of each fillet.  Bake for 15 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.  Serve.

Obviously, if you don't like spicy foods, this dish is not for you to even try.  Chris and I are BIG spicy food lovers, so the heat was not the issue here.  Blandness was an issue, however.  So how would I try to solve the blandness issue?  First, I recommend cutting back at least one tablespoon of the panko and adding one additional tablespoon of the Parmesan cheese.  Second, I would double the amount of onion powder and dried basil.  Third, I would use 1-2 garlic cloves, minced, in place of the garlic powder.  This should help give the fish a bit more flavor. 

Ciao!

Garlic-Mustard Glazed Pork Chops & A Winter Wonderland

BBBRRRRRRRRR!!  Looking at this picture I can't help but think:  I'm SO glad I live in the desert!!  I will gladly suffer through summers with temperatures above 100 degrees for months at a time, to not have to endure the blowing, drifting, freezing snow.

This picture was taken by a friend of mine from Nebraska (Thanks Kathleen for the use of the picture!).  We use to live right across the street from each other.  She still lives there (though not in the same town), as does most of my family. They are getting hit by yet another wave of winter storms.  My mom told me that they got 3.5" of snow on top of the 30" that was already on the ground and the temperature, with windchill, was 38 BELOW ZERO this morning!! It almost makes me feel bad for posting this recipe.

I grilled outside in January............................and THAT is why I endure the summers here :)

I made this last summer and it was a huge hit in our house.  I originally saw this recipe on foodnetwork.com.  It was a recipe by Bobby Flay called Garlic Mustard Beef Skewers. I think Bobby Flay is a grilling GOD, (I hope to one day become half the grill master he is) so I will usually go to his recipes when I'm searching for grilling ideas.  I was actually looking for a pork dish when I found this one.  I thought the mustard flavor would work perfectly with the pork, so I made the glaze and just changed the type of meat I was using.  It turned out to be one of our favorite pork dishes. The glaze is just so sweet and tangy, it would work for beef, pork, or chicken.  Maybe I will revisit this recipe in the summer and use chicken.... or heck, if you want, use chicken and then let me know how it turns out!

Garlic Mustard Glazed Pork Chops
 Adapted from Bobby Flay, Food Network 

Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup grainy mustard
2 Tbls Dijon mustard
2 Tbls white wine vinegar
1 Tbls honey
1 Tbls low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp Spanish paprika (I used a mix of smoked and sweet paprika)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 pork chops (your choice of cut)

Directions:
Whisk together all ingredients, except pork chops, in a small bowl.  Set aside 1/4 cup of the glaze.

Place the pork in a resealable Ziploc bag and pour the glaze into the bag.  Turn bag over several times to evenly coat the pork. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

On a preheated grill, cook the pork 4-8 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the chop.  Use the reserved glaze to baste the pork as it cooks.  Enjoy!

For those not fortunate enough to be able to grill (outside OR inside) in January, you can easily bake, broil, or even pan fry the pork.   I would recommend baking and/or broiling for the best results, though. 

And in case you were wondering.....Corn?  This time of year?  Yep, and it was delicious!  Not as sweet as Nebraska corn, but darn good for January! 

Stay warm everyone!

Chicken Braised in Walnut Sauce

 

As you can tell from some of my previous pictures, I am not a professional photographer!  Heck, the lighting in our house is so bad that if you don't take a picture during the day when the sun shines through the windows, the pictures end up looking either gray or yellow.  Every once in a while, though, I get the good shot. Not great, but good.. I think this one is one of those.  A picture really does make all the difference.  The first time I came across this recipe on MyRecipes.com, I wasn't all that impressed with how it looked.  Even though the ingredients didn't sound like it would be bad, I'm one of those people that if it doesn't look that good, it must not taste that good, so I never did try the recipe.  Back in September, though, I came across this same recipe but on The Sister's Cafe website and they made it look yummy enough that I was willing to give it a shot.

Chicken Braised in Walnut Sauce is a Persian dish.  For those of you that are not aware, walnuts contain omega 3-fatty acids.  Omega 3-fatty acids are known to help fight cancer and cardiovascular disease.  I tried to cut some of the fat and calories from the dish by using boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  The original recipe calls for chicken breasts with the skin on.  I don't think that it hurt the taste of the dish at all.

I really liked the flavor combination of this recipe.  It had this sweet, nutty flavor and then a kick at the end due to the cayenne pepper.  If you are not into spicy foods, add a little cayenne at a time.  The recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon, so start of with just 1/8 of teaspoon and then taste it.  It's so much easier to add more of something into your dish then it is to take it out!

Chris and I had different opinions on this meal.  Chris said he couldn't get passed the texture that the walnuts created in the dish, whereas, I actually thought that the walnuts added to the dish BECAUSE of the texture it gave it.  So you will have to decide for yourself on whether you want to try this or not, but my recommendation is, give it a shot, I don't think you will be disappointed!

Chicken Braised in Walnut Sauce 

Adapted from MyRecipes.com & The Sister's Cafe 

Ingredients: 

2 tsp olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/3 cup finely chopped onion (I put the onion in my food processor to get it really fine)

1 clove of garlic, minced  

1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped

2 Tbls flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cayenne (if you don't want it too spicy, add to taste)

1 (14oz) can chicken broth

1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 Tbls white wine vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cups of cooked rice (optional)

Directions:

In a small bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. Set aside.

Heat oil over medium heat.  Cook chicken 3-4 minutes on each side until browned.  Remove from pan.  Add onion and garlic.  Cook for 3-4 minutes or until tender, stirring constantly. Add the walnuts and cook one minute or until toasted and fragrant, stirring constantly.  Sprinkle flour mixture over walnuts, stirring to coat.  Slowly whisk in the chicken broth.  Return chicken to the pan.  Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.  Serve over rice.  Enjoy! (Makes 4 servings) 

Silpat Mat & Beef Empanadas

Check out another wonderful gift that I received from Chris.  It's called a Silpat Mat .  It is a MUST for any home kitchen.  It's a non stick baking mat and is a gift from the gods.  According to the package, NOTHING sticks to the Silpat.  Just like my silicone pans, this baking mat never needs greasing.  It can be used in place of parchment or wax paper, which in turn will save you money and create less waste.  And we all know creating less waste is the in thing these days!

Sunday night I thought I would try making empanadas (and finally use my Silpat).  For those of you that don't know, empanadas are Spanish or Portuguese stuffed bread or pastry.  They call them impanada's in Italy and in the Midwest, they call them Runza's.  Ok, ok... Runza's aren't exactly empanadas, they are called Bierocks and originated in Eastern Europe, but they ARE bread pockets stuffed with seasoned meats, onions and cabbage.  Runza is a fast food restaurant located in Nebraska (I think there may be one or two in Kansas and Iowa now too). Their specialty is, of course, runzas!  Right now, though, Runza's will just  have to wait for another day. Today our focus is on empanadas :)

As you can tell from the pictures, I need a little practice making the actual empanades, but they tasted good and sometimes that's what counts the most.  Chris and I both agreed that this was lacking something.  I personally think it was lacking more moisture inside.  It could have been more cheesy, so I updated the recipe just a bit.  We ate this as a meal with a side of rice and a salad, but you could always makes these as appetizers at your next party.  Serve it with a little warm queso to dip it in and they will be devoured quickly!

Beef Empanadas

Ingredients:
1/2 Tbls olive oil
1/2 onion, finely diced
1-2 jalapeno peppers (depends on the amount of heat you want), seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Roma tomato
3/4 lbs. ground beef (you could also use ground pork, turkey, or chicken)
salt and pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
3 oz cream cheese
2-3 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
2 refrigerated Pillsbury pie crust (of course you can make your own dough too, check out this Empanada Dough Recipe )
Water
Melted butter (about a tablespoon or two)

Directions:
In a large skillet, over medium low heat, cook the onions until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the jalapeno and let cook for 3 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.  Add the ground beef and cook until the meat is almost finished cooking, about 4-5 minutes.  Drain any excess grease from the skillet.  Add the tomato and cook until the meat is no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper.  Add cumin and chili powder and stir to combine.  Add the cheese, stirring until cheese is melted.  Remove from heat.

Unroll the pie crust and cut into 6 inch rounds (about 10).  Spoon 1-2 Tbls of the meat mixture into the middle of the round.  Brush sides with water and fold over, crimping the edges together.  You can either use your fingers or a fork (or both, which is what I did).  Brush with butter.

Bake in a 400 degree oven until the crust is golden brown, about 10-15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool for a minute or two before cutting into them, they will be hot inside!  Enjoy!

You could actually put any sort of filling in this that you wanted to.  Shredded chicken and cheese?  Chorizo, turkey, maybe even shrimp?  The point is, be creative, you don't have to be an "Iron Chef" to create your own recipes :)

Ciao!

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Icing (one layer)

I think I have had a low key obsession with red velvet cakes ever since I laid eyes on the armadillo groom's cake in the movie Steel Magnolias (one of my all time favorite movies, by the way).  Back then, I was like M'Lynn, I couldn't even "begin to think how you'd make gray icing" never mind how they got the cake to be so red!!!  My first experience actually eating a red velvet cake, though, came many years later.  I was at a get together at a friends house and someone had brought red velvet cupcakes.  They had this amazingly luscious vanilla cream cheese frosting on top and I think I ate 6 of them!  I don't know why, but the deep red color of the cake just made it that much more fun to eat!

From that day on, I have threatened numerous times to make a red velvet cake.  Lucky for me, Chris bought me a three piece silicone bakeware set for Christmas.  It included a loaf pan, a 6 cup muffin pan, and..... drum roll please............ an 8-inch round cake pan!!!  YAY!

Ok, ok.. I have cake pans, but this is SILICONE.  

Silicone pans mean;  even baking, super easy removal, no rusting or staining, and clean up is a breeze.  They are also freezer, refrigerator, oven, microwave, and dishwasher safe!  I highly recommending trying them out.

Over the weekend I decided it was finally time to make a red velvet cake.  Now, most recipes are for 2-3 layer cakes and I really just wanted to test the recipe and the new pan, so I decided to just make it a one layer cake.  I actually took a recipe for red velvet cupcakes and adapted it to my needs for the cake.  Here's the original recipe if you want to check it out: Paula Dean's Red Velvet Cupcaks.  If you have never had the pleasure of devouring a red velvet cake, I recommend trying this recipe.  It was simple and so incredibly moist and yummy! 

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Icing (one layer)
Adapted from Paula Dean

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cocoa powder
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 Tablespoon red food coloring
1/2 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray an 8-inch round cake pan with non stick cooking spray, set aside. (If you are using silicone you can skip this step!)

In a large bowl, gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, egg, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a hand held mixer or use the paddle attachment for a stand mixer.  Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, turning the pan once, halfway through the cooking process, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1/4 cup of butter (1/2 a stick), room temperature
6oz cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar (you can add more if you want a sweeter tasting frosting)
1 - 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

With an electric mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese together, about 2-3 minutes on medium speed, until very smooth.  Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.

Add the vanilla and mix.  Slowly add the powdered sugar.  Keep adding the sugar until you have the desired sweetness.  Spread or pipe on your cakes or cupcakes.

One last thing, my cake doesn't have the deep red color that a red velvet cake normally has.  This is due to not having enough red food coloring on hand.  I didn't realized it till I was already knee deep in the process, so I just went with it.  It turned out more red then I thought it would and it tasted great, so maybe I'll be forgiven.  Ciao!

Beer Cheese Soup with Red Peppers & Bacon

For a week or two before Christmas, our weather in Arizona was quite chilly....well for the desert that is.  When it's chilly, I constantly crave comfort foods.  More importantly, I constantly crave soups and mac & cheese :)  Since I made mac & cheese a few weeks ago, I figured it was time for another soup.  Actually, now that I think about it, the only real difference between this soup and my mac & cheese are the noodles and the beer!  I WIN!

This is a recipe I came up with on my own (YAY!).  I have made beer cheese soup before in many different forms, using many different recipes, so I thought this time, I would create my own.  I am actually very pleased with this recipe.  What I found difficult about creating my own recipe is one thing and one thing only:  I have to measure everything.... no more a little of this and a dash of that :)  Then again, if that is my only complaint, I am doing great!!

So without further ado... I give you:

Beer Cheese Soup with Red Pepper and Bacon

Ingredients:
1/2 lbs Bacon, diced
1/2 sweet onion, finely diced
1 sweet red bell pepper, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbls butter (I use unsalted)
2 Tbls flour
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
3/4 cup beer (light beer/pale ale)
3 dashes Tabasco
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1tsp dry mustard
2-3 cups shredded Tillamook cheddar cheese (medium, sharp, or extra sharp will work), depending on how cheesy you want it to be

Directions:
In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook bacon until brown and crisp.  Drain on paper towel.  Measure out 2 Tbls bacon grease discard all the rest.

In the same pot, over medium low heat, add bacon grease and onion.  Cook onion for 5-6 minutes.  Add the red pepper and cook another 4 minutes.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer.  Add butter and flour and stir.  Let cook for 1 minute.  Slowly whisk in heavy cream, milk, and beer.  Add Tabasco, Worcestershire, and mustard.  As soon as the soup starts to bubble, reduce heat to low and add cheeses, a little at a time, until completely melted.  (Do not let the soup boil once the cheese is added.  Keep it at a low simmer.  Boiling with the cheese can lead to grainy soup)  Add bacon.  Let simmer for 10-15 minutes.  Enjoy!

If you really didn't want to use beer, say you were cooking for kids and didn't want to add the alcohol to the soup, you can substitute chicken broth for it.  Also, I used Bud Light just because that's what we have in the house, but I would recommend a pale ale if you really want that true beer cheese taste (you can really use any light beer or pale ale you like).  I made this soup thinking that it would feed Chris and I one meal plus some leftovers, but I was wrong.  We both had two bowls each and that was it.  That actually worked well for us since we aren't the greatest on eating leftovers (plus we still have 5 pieces of lasagna left to eat!!!), but if you are feeding more then 2, I would suggest doubling the recipe.

Ciao!

MMMMMM.....Lasagna

My family has always had a long standing tradition on Christmas Eve.  We all would gather at my aunts house and order Valentino's pizza (a pizza place found only in the Midwest).  To this day, my family still follows that tradition.  There was a time, though, before that tradition started, when we all lived in the same small town and we would go to my grandma's house for Christmas Eve.  Those days where filled with 9x13-inch pans of lasagna. Yummy, cheesey, meaty lasagna.  She kept her lasagna very simple.  Meat and cheese and noodles.  Through the years I have tried to create my own recipe for lasagna.  I have made it numerous times with many different ingredients.  I have added zucchini, spinach, sausage, meatballs, chicken, olives, mushrooms...the list goes on.  In the end, a simple meat and cheese lasagna like my grandma's, seems to always be my favorite.

Lasagna takes times.  It's not a meal you can throw together in 30 minutes or less.  That's probably why I don't make it too often.  That, and as Chris pointed out last night after we were finished eating, "I could eat this until I was big and fat".  Trust me though, it's worth all the time you spend in the kitchen and all the fat and calories you consume!

This recipe is for an 8x8x2-inch baking dish and makes 4-5 servings. Enjoy!

 Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1/2 sweet onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 links Italian sausage (sweet, mild or hot), casing removed

1/2 lbs. ground beef 

2 1/4 cup pasta sauce (you can use jarred sauce, your own recipe, or see sauce recipe below)

3/4 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 Tablespoon parsley (fresh or dried)

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1 small egg yolk

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided

1/2 lbs lasagna noodles (about 9-12 noodles...the number depends on if you want 3 or 4 layers.  I tend to make a few extra "just in case")

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, oregano, basil and egg yolk together.  Store in refrigerator until ready to build the lasagna.

Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions.  Drain.

In a large skillet, over medium low heat, saute onions in the olive oil until tender and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.  Turn the heat up to medium and add the sausage.  Saute for 1 minute and then add the ground beef.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook until meat is no longer pink, about 5-6 minutes.  Once meat is cooked through, add the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray an 8x8x2 baking dish with non stick cooking spray.  Pour about 2 Tablespoons of sauce in the bottom of the pan and spread out evenly.  

Now you are ready to build the lasagna.  Set aside 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese for the top layer.  Start with a layer of noodles.  Then spread the ricotta cheese mixture on the noodles (about 3-4 Tablespoons).  Sprinkle with a little mozzarella cheese then top with meat sauce mixture.  Repeat two more times (if you still have enough for another layer, go ahead an use it).  Top with remaining cup of mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Let the lasagna rest for at least 5-10 minutes before cutting into it.

Jenn's Speedy Pasta Sauce

1 shallot, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1-28oz can crushed tomatoes

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 tsp sugar

1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

1/2 Tablespoon dried oregano

Saute the shallot in a large pot over medium low heat, for 5-7 minutes.  Add garlic and saute for 1 minute.  Add crushed tomatoes, sugar and herbs.  Season with salt and pepper.  Let simmer for at least 20 minutes.  (I like to add about 1/4 cup red wine too.)